The Nov. 16 article by Tia Goldbenberg had erroneously referred to “Israel’s West Bank settlement construction, which the U.S. and much of the international community view as illegal and an obstacle to peace.”

Since the Reagan administration, which explicitly said it did not believe the settlements were illegal, U.S. administrations have instead characterized the settlements as an obstacle to peace and illegitimate. The current U.S. government, and numerous preceding American administrations, have not characterized the settlements as “illegal.”

In response to communication from CAMERA, AP published the following correction yesterday (Nov. 21):

JERUSALEM (AP) — In a story Nov. 16 about Israel’s settlement policy, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the United States considers Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank to be illegal. While the United States opposes settlement construction, it does not take a position on its legality. Instead, it says that settlements are “illegitimate,” ”corrosive to the cause of peace” and “raise serious questions about Israel’s ultimate commitment to a peaceful negotiated settlement with the Palestinians.” Most of the international community views the settlements as illegal.

A correction from a wire service on a sensitive issue like U.S. policy regarding Israel’s settlements is particularly significant, given the fact that multiple media outlets that are AP’s clients and which used the erroneous story have now corrected. CAMERA commends the Associated Press and its clients for setting the record straight.

The CAMERA-prompted AP correction noting that the U.S. does not view Israeli settlements as illegal today appears in print in Post Media newspapers across Canada. They include The Star Phoenix (Saskatoon), The Leader-Post (Regina), The Windsor Star (Ontario), The Calgary Herald, The London Free Press (Ontario), The Ottawa Citizen, The National Post, The Vancouver Sun, The Edmonton Journal and The Gazette (Montreal). CAMERA commends Post Media on its prompt corrections.

The corrections state:

In a story Nov. 16 [sic] about Israel’s settlement policy, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the United States considers Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank to be illegal. While the United States opposes settlement construction, it does not take a position on its legality. Instead, it says that settlements are “illegitimate.” Much of the international community views the settlements as illegal.